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United States Patent | 5,546,757 |
Whipple, III | August 20, 1996 |
An energy-efficient refrigeration system includes an electrically controlled thermal expansion valve disposed in the refrigerant piping so as to control flow of refrigerant in the refrigeration system, and an expansion valve controller coupled to the expansion valve to provide control signals to the valve. The controller includes a refrigerant temperature sensing device coupled to the refrigeration system so as to sense a flow control temperature corresponding to the refrigeration temperature at a flow measurement site so that the controller generates control signals to control valve position to provide optimum refrigerant flow for a particular operational mode of the system. The thermal expansion valve includes a heating element that is responsive to control signals from the controller and that is thermally coupled to a thermal expansion medium so that the medium expands upon application of heat from the heating element.
Inventors: | Whipple, III; Walter (Amsterdam, NY) |
Assignee: | General Electric Company (Schenectady, NY) |
Appl. No.: | 301762 |
Filed: | September 7, 1994 |
Current U.S. Class: | 62/225; 236/92B; 251/5; 251/11 |
Intern'l Class: | F16K 031/68; F25B 041/04 |
Field of Search: | 62/210,211,212,222,223,224,225 236/68 C,92 B,101 R,99 R,99 A,99 J 251/11,4,5 |
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4122687 | Oct., 1978 | McKee | 62/156. |
4318529 | Mar., 1982 | Huelle et al. | 251/11. |
4375753 | Mar., 1983 | Imasu et al. | 62/225. |
4475686 | Oct., 1984 | Huelle et al. | 251/11. |
4481787 | Nov., 1984 | Lynch | 62/180. |
4666081 | May., 1987 | Cook et al. | 251/11. |
4745767 | May., 1988 | Ohya | 62/225. |
4910972 | Mar., 1990 | Jaster | 62/335. |
4918942 | Apr., 1990 | Jaster | 62/335. |
5103650 | Apr., 1992 | Jaster | 62/198. |
5118071 | Jun., 1992 | Huelle | 251/11. |
5134859 | Aug., 1992 | Jaster | 62/503. |
Donald E. Koop et al., "An Adaptive Demand Defrost and Two-Zone Control and Monitor System for Refrigeration Products," IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications, Vol. 24, No. 2, Mar./Apr. 1988, pp. 337-342. "Thermostatic Expansion Valves," Bulletin 10-10, Oct. 1981, Copyright 1981 by Sporlan Valve Co., St. Louis, MO, pp. 1-8. |